PC build or Buy??

Milner · March 29, 2007

Trying to decide if I should build or buy a new PC. If I buy it will mostlikely be through Dell, or to save a little $ and get a little more performance i have thought of building my own. I like Dell's waranty, but I like the performance and upgrade-ability if I build my own.
Give me some opinions....
THANKS

For reference this is what I was thinking from Newegg
https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/Wishlist/PublicWishDetail.asp?WishListNumber=4227725&WishListTitle=CONFIG1

claudermilk · March 29, 2007

When I came to that crossroads several months ago, I took a look at what I could do at Newegg then tried to build an equivalent system at Dell. In the end Newegg got my money. So, I'd say build your own; you know what al lthe parts are and it is a whole lot easier to build a PC these days. PnP is finally pretty much a reality, I spent more time unpacking the components than it took to assemble them and everything booted right up the first time.

rutt · March 29, 2007

A third option is to get a local noname place to build for you. I used to build my own, but there is a Chinese place (two guys and a storefront) which builds cheaper than I can with better quality results. In fact, I can bring them a parts list with internet quotes on each part and they will build cheaper than the sum. Service is also great. Just bring to them and they fix while you wait.

Compustar, Moody St, Waltham MA.

But there is likely to be a place like that near you as well.

cmason · March 29, 2007

Well I built last time, and enjoyed it. I was able to get just what I wanted, though, admittedly it wasn't cheaper than buying. I got very good components, the motherboard I wanted, etc. When you buy, you don't get those choices.

Now it is time to think about upgrading. Only this time, things have changed a bit. A few years back, performance was really impacted by such things as DDR memory, L2 cache, AGP, pipelining in video, EIDE 166, etc. While a good video card helped, these hardware level items made a big difference.

Today, these things are replaced with better items, and even the better items are in commodity systems these days: SATA, PCIe, DDR2, etc. An now dual core processors are in some of the cheapest machines.

So, to me, the money is best spent on the chip wih the best L2 cache, the most physical memory, and decent video card.

Therefore, my next system will be from Dell or other. I just can not buy Intel Dual Core 2 chip, video and all the rest for as cheap as they do it now.

I suggest you check out Dell outlet. They have some amazing deals on refurbished, scratch and dent XPS systems. I routinely find a high end system for $700-$800 there all the time.

dogwood · March 29, 2007

Build it yourself!

It may be more expensive if you only build one-- but in a year or so when you need to upgrade, it's sure nice to only need to upgrade certain components-- like the processor and motherboard-- without replacing everything else.

And... it's really, really nice to be able to open up your 'box' and hook things up, disconnet things, troubleshoot, and basically know what to do when things go wrong. I built my PC over a year ago and it's still going strong-- even running memory-hog PSCS3 while streaming internet radio.

One thing I've found is that the power supplies on pre-built PC's are often inadequate for the amount of stuff I end up adding (currently six HD's on that PC!) and the cooling systems are kind of cheap too. I also think the motherboard firewalls are FAR superior to the XP one, but that's just my subjective opinion.

pathfinder · March 29, 2007

My experience with Dell computers were that they worked fine, but that the BIOS were crippled such that upgrades could be very difficult. I suspect Dell does not want you reflashing the BIOS:D

If you purchase a motherboard, getting access to new BIOS should not be that hard as long as the manufacturer continues to service that motherboard.

evoryware · March 29, 2007

I can't believe I built this PC 4 years ago. With memory and video card upgrades, I've been able to keep this thing floating along and am now testing it with Vista. FLying through all my games and pictures. I'll probably get another year out of this box as my main box as long as the parts continue to hold up. For desktops I'll build my own. For Laptops I'll let someone else handle that.

kini62 · March 29, 2007

Yes you can flash the bios on a Dell.

The Dell XPS series have very good power supplies.

Gateway has also made improvements to their high performance line as well.

Maybe check out some of the 3rd tier manufacturers like iBuyPower, Cyberpower...

They list what the compoments are in the system and often give you a choice of components.

Building it yourself gives you no warranty. Everything is subject to the manufacturer's warranty for that component- 10 different manufacturers- 10 different warranties and the hassles that go with them should something not work right.

In the end, I don't think it's that much cheaper to build your own.

Gene

ChrisJ · March 29, 2007

I just went through the same decision process. I ended up building myself a system. Intel E6600, Asus P5-B Deluxe, etc. etc... I was planning on posting specs/reasons in another thread. Total cost was less than $2000 including OS.

gus · March 29, 2007

rutt wrote:

A third option is to get a local noname place to build for you. I used to build my own, but there is a Chinese place (two guys and a storefront) which builds cheaper than I can with better quality results. In fact, I can bring them a parts list with internet quotes on each part and they will build cheaper than the sum. Service is also great. Just bring to them and they fix while you wait.

Compustar, Moody St, Waltham MA.

But there is likely to be a place like that near you as well.

I do exactly this as well...why would i bother doing it myself. I choose the parts & the local chinese comp shop does it for me & i get a great warranty with them.

cletus · March 30, 2007

Most of the time we buy new machines from Dell or Gateway, but we've also got a guy here at the office who is always convinced he can do things better and cheaper than anyone else. Over the years we've let him build up a few machines. He tries to put together systems with cost being the only factor. The systems were cheap but they were also crap. The chassis suck, the power supplies suck, the fans are deafening, etc... We no longer let him put machines together. Lesson of the story - don't set out to build a "cheap" pc.

We built up a backup server a while back. Because we had a very specific list of requirements it turned out to be more cost effective to build a quality system than to buy one. Dell and Gateway had machines that would work but they would have been over $2000. We wound up buying everything from Newegg for around $1400. With the money saved we could buy things like a spare power supply or additional hard disks. The thing went together easy, it's quiet, looks great and hasn't given me a lick of trouble. Stay with brands like Asus and I think you'll have a similar experience.

Looking at your list - If you're going to build a tower, take a good look at the Antec P180 or P180B chassis. Right now there's a rebate that drops the price to $75.

Milner · March 30, 2007

ChrisJ wrote:

I just went through the same decision process. I ended up building myself a system. Intel E6600, Asus P5-B Deluxe, etc. etc... I was planning on posting specs/reasons in another thread. Total cost was less than $2000 including OS.

I would love to see the specs!

dogwood · March 30, 2007

gus wrote:

why would i bother doing it myself. I choose the parts & the local chinese comp shop does it for me & i get a great warranty with them.

Well-- you kind of answer your own question in your response. There's definitely a sense of satisfaction building your own rather than relying onf the "local chinese".

I haven't needed a warranty on my DIY PC-- but that's because I built it myself and used quality components. If something breaks, I know how to replace it and don't have to get the local chinese to do it for me. When something goes wrong, I can solve the problem myself (so far).

It's a good feeling to be self-reliant and able to put together your own gear. It's not for everybody, obviously, but for those who build their own computers, it's a good feeling when you get everything working correctly!

cmason · March 30, 2007

Milner wrote:

I would love to see the specs!

This is what I find on Dell Outlet...lots like this, some cheaper:

XPS 410(System Identifier: F5AY1BVH)

XPS 410 Mini-Tower: Intel Core 2 Duo Processor E6600 (2.4GHz, 1066 FSB)
Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium

System Price:$849.00

Operating System
Genuine Windows Vista Home Premium

Memory
2 GB DDR2 Non-ECC SDRAM 677MHz (2 DIMMs)

Hard Disk Drive
320 GB EIDE SATA Hard Drive (7200 RPM)

Video
256MB ATI Radeon X1300 Pro

Modem
56Kbps Data/Fax Modem

Certified Refurbished

Base:XPS 410 Mini-Tower: Intel Core 2 Duo Processor E6600 (2.4GHz, 1066 FSB)

Media Bay:
48X CD RW/DVD Combo Drive
16X DVD +/- RW w/dbl layer write capability

Software Upgrade
McAfee SecurityCenter with VirusScan, Firewall, Spyware Removal, 36-months
Microsoft Works 8.5

Hardware Upgrade
USB Keyboard
1394 IEEE Adapter Card
Dell Optical USB 2-button Mouse

ChrisJ · March 30, 2007

Milner wrote:

I would love to see the specs!

Okay, here's the quick version (pasted from my working text file), the prices and summations may not be 100% accurate:

$360 - Video - 640 Meg NVidia 8800 GTS (eVGA) (Newegg) - $30 Rebate
$185 - Motherboard - ASUS P5B Deluxe (w/o WiFi) (NewEgg) - $7 Shipping
$130 - Disk - Western Digital Caviar RE2 WD5000AAKS 500GB (NewEgg) - $10 Rebate
$ 60 - Disk - Western Digital Caviar RE WD1600AAJS 160GB (NewEgg) - $6 Shipping
$145 - OEM Windows XP Pro (NewEgg) - $5 Shipping
$ 65 - Case - Antec Sonata II - 450W P/S (NewEgg) - $50 Rebate, $16 Shipping
--$999.94 * 1.0825 = $1082.44 + $26.21 Shipping = $1108.65

$232 - RAM - MEM 1Gx2|CORSAIR 240P TWIN2X2048-6400C4 - Retail (Newegg)
--$232 * 1.0825 = $251.13

$120 - DVD - Plextor PX-755SA (Amazon)
$331 - CPU - Core 2 Duo E6600 (Amazon)
$120 - Power Supply - CORSAIR CMPSU-520HX (Amazon)
--$557.73 + $11.48 Shipping = $569.21

My goal was to have a powerful, but quiet system. And I did a lot of research into each component. Small disk is for the OS, big disk is for Data (backed up externally). I also got an upgrade coupon for Vista which I don't think is available anymore. But I knew I wanted to run XP in the short term.

Hope this helps!

Milner · April 2, 2007

Thanks Chris!
Real similar to what i have been thinking....

gus · April 2, 2007

dogwood wrote:

Well-- you kind of answer your own question in your response. There's definitely a sense of satisfaction building your own rather than relying onf the "local chinese".

Wrong...in your case this may be but not for me. The OP asked for different peoples opinions & thats what i gave them.

I dont get off on building computers..its right up there with taking the garbage out for me.

Pupator · April 4, 2007

gus wrote:

The OP asked for different peoples opinions & thats what i gave them.

So here's mine too.

I used to build computers all the time. If you can get a great deal on a MB+Processor+OS combo you can come out way ahead by building your own. Other than that, you do better with Dell (especially the outlet) or one of the other big guys.

The idea that building your own gives you a more "upgradeable" computer is a bunch of hooey. What exactly about my Dell desktop (or almost any desktop you buy) can't be upgraded? Unless you buy a unique sized case it's all the same whether you build it or not.

claudermilk · April 4, 2007

Pupator wrote:

The idea that building your own gives you a more "upgradeable" computer is a bunch of hooey. What exactly about my Dell desktop (or almost any desktop you buy) can't be upgraded? Unless you buy a unique sized case it's all the same whether you build it or not.

Very true. I upgraded the snot out of my Dell before it finally became too outdated to keep up & I built a DIY system to replace it. It was stuffed to the point that there were 2 drives more than there were bays in it.

Now the thing is, some OEM's use oddball size stuff that cannot be upgraded. As I recall (and this is years old) Compaqs were notorious for proprietary sized stuff, and eMachines used a proprietary power supply--which really sucked as they tended to blow & their idea of repair was to send the whole machine back to Korea & you get another one.

Cannot upgrade that kind of stuff, so some research up-front is wise.

Pupator · April 4, 2007

claudermilk wrote:

As I recall (and this is years old) Compaqs were notorious for proprietary sized stuff, and eMachines used a proprietary power supply

You're correct with those two - but the key phrase is "this is years old." Both Compaq/HP and eMachines use standard size everything in all except their (obviously smaller) media PCs.

Major manufacturers just don't do much proprietary anything anymore (in the PC world anyway).

dogwood · April 5, 2007

gus wrote:

I dont get off on building computers..its right up there with taking the garbage out for me.

Fair enough. And, the irony is that I don't mind taking out the trash either... no kidding!

Skippy · April 5, 2007

gus wrote:

I do exactly this as well...why would i bother doing it myself. I choose the parts & the local chinese comp shop does it for me & i get a great warranty with them.

I'm with you Gus the local Chinese guy built me one bigger and faster computer than the Dell I was looking at, for 1/3 of the price Dell was going to charge me, plus I got a 5 year Warranty as well

I'm happy

....Skippy
.

marlinspike · April 5, 2007

The Dells are garbage if you actually care for a good computer. If you don't do any gaming and won't be adding components later on they're fine, but they use weak power supplies, not the best cooling, not the best chipsets, and not the best graphics cards.

godzakka · April 6, 2007

I'm not sure anyone mentioned it, but almost every component in your DIY computers have their own, sometimes longer, warranties than the DELL/etc ships. Motherboards are likely to have 1-3 yr warranties, CPU's 1yr, etc.

Also, if you DIY you can get a nicer looking case, if you care about that stuff.

PC build or Buy??

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